Government cyber weapons programme to defend UK digital networks

UK cyber security is apparently getting a boost according to a report by the Guardian, which states that a Government programme has begun developing offensive cyber weapons - adding to existing defensive capabilities.

The defence minister, Nick Harvey, stated that, "action in cyberspace will form part of the future battlefield", and form "an integral part of the country's armoury".

This official announcement comes as the physical infrastructures in which cyberspace can be accessed widens; there have also been numerous attacks on the Government's digital infrastructure, indeed last February an attack was repelled by the Foreign Office from "a hostile state intelligence agency".

However, it's the relatively accessible nature of cyber weapons that is causing much of the concern, as Harvey continues:

"The consequences of a well planned, well executed attack against our digital infrastructure could be catastrophic … With nuclear or biological weapons, the technical threshold is high. With cyber the finger hovering over the button could be anyone from a state to a student."

Along with the Cabinet Office, GCHQ and, in time, the Ministry of Defence will work to ensure power, transport and communication systems, all now governed by digital networks, remain secure. Virtual attack now joins terrorism as a tier one risk, bolstered by a £650 million budget allocation over 4 years.

Any thoughts on the whole cybercrime attack issue? Let us know in the comments.